Heel-coating machine



Sept. 5, 1939. w LE R MacKENZ|E 2,171,731

HEEL-COATING MACHINE Filed Sept. 28, 1937 2- Sheets-Sheet 1 6% ags- 07 Sept. 5, 1939. w LE R MacKENZIE 2,171,731

I HEEL-COATING MACHINE Filed Sept. 28, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Patented Sept. 5, 1939 HEEL-COATING MACHINE Wilbur Le Roy MacKenzie, Beverly, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New J ersey Application September 28, 1937, Serial No. 166,236

13 Claims.

This invention relates to heel-coating machines and is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine for applying a horseshoe-shaped band of adhesive around the margin of the attaching surface of a heel.

In the attachment of heels to shoes, it is customary to apply a band of adhesive around the curved portion of the periphery of the attaching surface which is to be brought into engagement with the heel seat of the shoe. Commonly, this is a rather heavy band of glue and it is found desirable to space the outer edge of the band from the peripheral edge of the heel in order that none of the glue may be squeezed out beyond the periphery of the heel. In one type of machine, the article to be coated is supported in inverted position above a receptacle containing the adhesive and an applying member or pad is reciprocated into the adhesive and back again to coat the heel. For a rapid utilization of the machine, it must be easy to apply the heel to the support and to carry out such adjustments as may be needed by changes in heel styles or in the sizes of the heels to be coated.

It is, therefore, an important object of the invention to provide an improved heel-coating machine which will be readily adjustable and capable of utilization by unskilled help.

One feature of the invention resides in an improved heel support of generally horseshoe shape and arranged so that its side arms may readily be adjusted positively, by the operator, toward and away from each other. Protection for parts of the heel which are not to be coated is provided, in the illustrated device, by making the support out of spaced metallic bars, the outer of which serves both to position the heel and to protect it while the inner serves to support the heel and to protect the outermost margin of the attaching surface from the application of adhesive. As illustrated, the support is carried on adjusting arms which are provided with flared guides which facilitate the insertion of the heel in the support.

Another feature of the invention resides in an arrangement for simultaneous adjustment of the above-mentioned heel support and a coacting horseshoe-shaped applying pad reciprocable,

the applying member and-the heel support is provided without aifecting the ability of the applying member to reciprocate from a glue-collecting to a glue-applying position.

These and other features of the invention will 5 be described in the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device with the glue receptacle shown in section; 10

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a detail of the work support;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of one side of the work support on the line IV--IV of Fig. 6;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but taken at 15 right angles thereto in order to show the mechanism for reciprocating the applying member;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the heel support and the applying member, with portions broken away and in section; 20

Fig. '7 is a transverse vertical section on the line VIIVII of Fig. 2, showing the applying member in contact with a heel on the support, and

Fig, 8 is a vertical section through the apply- 25 ing member and heel support, extending longitudinally of the heel and taken on the line VIIIVIII of Fig. 2.

A receptacle 10 containing glue I2 is secured to a supporting column 14 and is provided with a 0 side wall having a chamber Hi. The glue or other adhesive which is used may be kept in the desired condition by filling the chamber with a heating medium, such as hot water, circulated through inlet and outlet pipes I8 and I9. 35

Adjusting lever arms 20, for changing the contours of a support S and of an applying member A so that they will be substantially like the contour of the curved periphery of the cup of a heel H, are pivotally mounted on an upright stud 24 40 secured in 2. lug 26 on the side of the receptacle 10'. The glue is to be applied to the attaching surface 22 in a narrow band spaced from the periphery. The arms 20 are crossed and are provided with actuating links 28 joined to a slide 30,

the position of which may be adjusted by means of a screw 32. This screw is threaded in a slotted bracket 34, also mounted on the stud 24, and in the bracket is a chamber receiving a spring 36 by means of which the slide is held always against 5 the end of the screw 32. A look nut 38 is used to hold the screw 32 in adjusted position.

The work support S comprisesan outer band 40 of flexible sheet metal, such as steel, and an inner band 42 of similar material held in spaced 5 relation to the outer band by spacing studs 44 which are arranged to slide in slots 46 (Fig. 3) in the outer band, thereby to allow greater flexibility of adjustment as the side arms of these generally horseshoe-shaped members are bent. The mid portion of the outer band 40 is supported on a rod 50 depending from an arm 52 which is attached to the upright stud 24. This rod 50, as will be seen, depends into the receptacle and the mid portion of the band 40 is attached to an enlarged portion 5| at the bottom of it by means of a clamping plate 54 (Fig. 8) having a locating stud 56 and held on the enlarged portion 5| by means of a screw 58. The outer ends of the band 40 are supported below the arms 20, being riveted to the heads 60 of depending guides 62 having slots 82 for a purpose to be later described. These guides 62 are carried by bolts 6| hanging from the outer ends of the crossed arms 20. It will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 7 that the outer band 40 serves as a positioning member for the heel and also prevents accidental coating of the periphery of the heel adjacent to the attaching surface 22. At the same time, the inner band 42 serves as a ledge inside the positioning member 40, on which the heel is supported for the application thereto of glue by the member A. Being spaced from the positioning band 40, this inner band 42 serves also as a guard to prevent the application of coating material to a narrow outer margin 63 (Fig. 4) of the attaching surface 22. It will be noted also that by reason of the spaced relation of the two bands, any coating material which is accidentally deposited on the inner band will readily drain back into the receptacle. The presentation of heels to the work support is facilitated by flaring guides 64 having slotted arms 66 (Fig. 7) by which they are adjustably clamped by screws 68 on the crossed arms 20.

The applying member A comprises a strip of saturable material, such as .felt, supported on a perforated plate or carrier I0 by means of a flexible band I2 positioned edgewise on the upper surface of the plate and having its mid portion secured thereto by means of a stud I4 (Fig. 8).

The attachment of the applying member A to.

band is attached to the studs by means of staplelike wires 18 passing through the band and having depending legs which pass through apertures in the head and are inturned, as indicated at I9.

Near the outer ends of the applying member A,

members corresponding to the studs 16 are provided which have extensions forming U-shaped hooks 80, the lower ends of which underlie the plate I0, thereby holding the flexible band I2 down against the plate but permitting sliding movement of the band over the plate. The contour of the applying member is determined by the shape of the flexible band I2 and this, in turn, is determined by the depending guides 62, the slots 82 in which receive the free ends 84 of the band. The slots 82 in these guides, open at their upper ends to facilitate assembly of the machine, permit heightwise sliding movement of the free ends 84 of the band I2. Inasmuch as the slotted guides 62 are positioned by the crossed arms 20, the same shape is imparted to the applying pad A which is imparted to the work support S and any adjustment'efiected by turning the screw 32 is communicated simultaneously to the two devices.

It will be noted from Figs. '7 and. 8 that the upper surface of the applying member A is inclined outwardly and downwardly thereby to make this surface more nearly conform to the attaching surface 22 of the heel I-I. Undue agitation of the glue by the reciprocating plate I0 is avoided by the various openings 86 therein and it will be noted also that the flexible band I2 has slots 88 for a similar purpose.

The plate I0 carrying the applying member is mounted for up-and-down movement with a post 7 90 (Fig. 5) attached to the end of an arm 92 which extends toward the center of the receptacle from a rod 94. The upper end of the rod 94 is riveted at 95 to a crossbar 96 which, in turn, is secured at 99 to a plunger 98 slidable in a lug I00 extending outwardly from the receptacle I0. This whole assembly, comprising the parts 90 to 98, inclusive, is urged normally toward its lowermost position by a spring I02 extending between the crossbar 96 and a hook I04 in the lug I00. Its lowermost position is determined by an adjustable stop screw I06 threaded in the crossbar 96 and engaging a guide plate III] swingable about the rod 98 and forked at its inner end at H2 to receive the rod 94. The exact position of this plate I I0 about the axis of the plunger 98 is determined by screws I I4 passingthrough curved slots H6 in the plate and threaded in the lug I00. It is thus possible to position the applying member A in the receptacle and to determine its path of movement heightwise within the support S with some exactness so that they will be substantially in registration, i. e., in such a position that the applying member A passes freely into the support S and at the desired distance from the closed end thereof.

Upward movement of the assembly which supports the plate 10 carrying the applying member and against the tension of the spring I02 is effected by means of a lever I20. This is secured to a rockshaft I22 pivoted in a bearing I 24 on the side of the receptacle. If desired, this may be actuated by means of a treadle (not shown) connected tothe lever by means of a treadle rod I26 (Fig. l). Upward movement of the inner end of the lever I20 is limited by the engagement of a stop surface I28 thereon with the lower end of a stop screw I30 threaded in a portion I32 of the lug-I00.

In the use of the machine, assuming that glue has been supplied to the receptacle and that the applying member A and the work support S have been simultaneously adjusted by actuation of the screw 32 to fit the particular size and/or style of heel to be treated, the heel H is positioned on the work support S. This positioning is facilitated by the flaring guides 64 and the positioning member 40 as the heel is brought into contact with the upper edge of the supporting band 42. The operator then actuates the lever I20 to raise the applying member into contact with the cupped attaching surface 22 of the heel to apply a band of adhesive thereto which will be spaced inwardly from the periphery of the attaching surface by a margin 63 equal to the distance between the bands 40 and 42. Inasmuch as the only change necessary for varying sizes of heels is an adjustment of the screw 32, the operator of the machine can proceed rapidly and with a minimum of skill to bring heels into position and apply a coating of glue thereto in just the desired location.

Having described my invention, what I claim 7 as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine for coating the attaching surface of a heel, an applying member adjustable for heels of different characteristics, a heel support adjustable to coact with said heels, and interconnecting means for simultaneously adjusting said members.

2. In a machine for coating the attaching surface of a heel, a curved applying member the sides of which are adjustable toward and away from one another, a coacting work support upon which the heel may be positioned for the action of the applying member and the sides of which are similarly adjustable, and means for simultaneously adjusting said applying member and said work support.

3. In a machine for coating the attaching surface of a heel, a curved applying member the sides of which are adjustable toward and away from one another, a coacting work supporting member upon which the heel may be positioned for the action of the applying member and the sides of which are similarly adjustable, and means common to said members for simultaneously adjusting said applying member and said work supporting member, said adjusting means having a movable connection with one of said members to permit relative movement between the applying member and work supporting member.

4. In a heel-coating machine, a receptacle, a curved work support positioned above the receptacle, means for adjusting the sides of said work support, said adjusting means being provided with depending slotted members, an adjustable applying member for coating the margin of the attaching surface of said heel, an extension from said member entering the slots of said depending members, and means for raising and lowering the applying member.

5. In a machine for coating heels, a receptacle,

a carrier in said receptacle, means for raising and lowering said carrier, a horseshoe-shaped applying member the mid portion of which is secured to said carrier and the end portions of which are adjustable over the carrier, adjustable guides depending into said receptacle and coacting with the free ends of said applying member, and means for adjusting said guides toward and away from one another.

6. In a machine for coating heels, a receptacle, a perforated plate in said receptacle, means out side the receptacle for raising and lowering said plate, a horseshoe-shaped applying member the mid portion of which is secured to said plate and the end portions of which are adjustable over the plate, adjustable guides depending into said receptacle and coacting with the free ends of said applying member, means for adjusting said guides toward and away from one another, and a horseshoe-shaped adjustable work support the end portions of which are secured to said guides.

7. In a heel-coating machine, a receptacle, crossed levers overhanging said receptacle and provided with depending guides, means for equally and oppositely adjusting said levers, a reciprocable applying member in said receptacle slidably engaging said guides, diverging work guides supported on said levers, and means for raising and lowering said applying member.

8. In a machine for coating heels, a heel support comprising flexible bands held in spaced relation, and means moved by the operator for simultaneously adjusting the contour of said bands to conform to the contour of the heel.

9. In a heel-coating machine, a flexible positioning band adapted to extend around the periphery of the rear end of a heel, and a supporting band attached to said positioning band in spaced relation thereto and arranged with a heelengaging edge within and below the positioning band.

10. In a heel-coating machine, a receptacle for coating material, a work support over the receptacle and comprising a flexible band, adjustable means for supporting the ends of said band for movement toward and away from each other, and a supporting band held in spaced relation to the first band and from which supporting band any coating material will readily drain into the receptacle.

11. In a heel-coating machine, a receptacle for coating material, a work support over the receptacle and comprising a flexible band, adjustable means for supporting the ends of said band for movement toward and away from each other, a support for the central portion of theband, and a. self-draining heel-supporting ledge band within said flexible band, said bands being held in spaced relation by studs at least some of which slidably engage one of the bands, this spaced relation permitting coating material to drain into the receptacle.

12. In a heel-coating machine, a heel support comprising an adjustable positioning member and heel-supporting means associated with said positioning member, movable arms for adjusting the positioning member, and flaring guides on said arms for guiding a heel into the positioning member.

13. In a heel-coating machine, a receptacle, a reciprocable carrier within said receptacle, and a horseshoe-shaped applying member supported on said carrier and adjustable with respect thereto, said applying member having a mid portion secured to said carrier and end portions slidable with respect to the carrier, said end portions being provided with means engaging the under side of the carrier to prevent heightwise separation of said end portions, and said carrier.

WILBUR LE ROY MACKENZIE. 

